Stokke Tripp Trapp review
Designed in 1972, holds 300 lb, and costs more than four ordinary high chairs.
The verdict
The Tripp Trapp is a wooden chair that adjusts as a child grows, holds 300 lb and lasts into adulthood, which is why it costs what it does and why it appears in the same photographs twenty years apart. Buy it if you want one chair for the whole of childhood and the family eats together at a table. Skip it if you want a chair you can hose down, because wood, fabric and a five-point harness in the same object is a cleaning job that plastic simply does not have.
Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair with Newborn Set and Tray
~$449
A wooden adjustable chair with a Baby Set and a Newborn Set, usable from birth and rated to 300 lb.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Included in this set | Tripp Trapp chair, Baby Set and Newborn Set |
|---|---|
| Newborn Set | Two adjustable positions with leg support, for use from birth |
| Baby Set | Converts the chair to a high chair, with a five-point safety harness |
| Capacity | Up to 300 lb |
| Adjustment | Seat and footplate move as the child grows; removing the Baby Set turns it into a chair |
| Design | Designed by Peter Opsvik in 1972 |
Specifications above come from Stokke's published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- The adjustable footplate is the thing most high chairs get wrong. A child whose feet are supported sits more stably and stays at the table longer, and dangling legs are a real reason toddlers squirm out of chairs.
- It pulls up to the family table rather than parking a child in a plastic pod beside it, which changes mealtimes more than any feature on a specification sheet.
- Rated to 300 lb, so the chair genuinely continues into adult use rather than being a marketing claim about longevity.
- Parts and accessories remain available across model years, which is unusual and is what makes a second-hand Tripp Trapp a sensible purchase.
Where it falls short
- Cleaning is the honest weakness. Wood, a fabric harness and a jointed seat mean food gets into places a wipe does not reach, and a plastic high chair with a removable tray can be taken to the sink. If your tolerance for that is low, this is the wrong chair.
- The price only makes sense over a long horizon. At about $449 for this set it is four times a good plastic high chair, and the payback assumes you keep it for a decade or more.
- It has no wheels, no recline and no compact fold. It is a chair, and it lives at the table.
- The tray and the various sets are sold in different combinations, and it is easy to buy a configuration that is missing the piece you needed. Check exactly what a listing includes before ordering.
- Always use the harness while the Baby Set is fitted, and never leave a child unattended in any high chair. Falls from high chairs are a common cause of injury in this age group, and the height is the hazard rather than the chair.
What owners report
Published owner reviews are unusually loyal, with a large number of owners describing chairs still in daily use after ten or more years and bought again for subsequent children. Adjustability and the footplate are the two features people credit.
The recurring criticisms are cleaning, price and assembly, and a consistent note that the chair can tip if a child pushes hard against a table, which is why the harness and supervision matter. Several owners recommend the cushion for comfort and then find the cushion is another thing to wash.
Who it suits
- Families who eat together at a table and want the child at it.
- Anyone who prefers to buy one expensive thing for a long time rather than several cheap ones.
- Households where the chair will be used by more than one child.
Who should skip it
- Parents who want to wipe or hose a chair clean in thirty seconds.
- Small kitchens where a chair that does not fold is a problem.
- Anyone on a tight budget, where a $240 plastic high chair does the same nutritional job.
Alternatives worth considering
Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair, Adjustable Wooden High Chair
~$249
The chair without the Newborn Set or tray, for $200 less. If your child is already sitting confidently you may not need the Newborn Set at all, and the Baby Set can be bought separately.
Check price on AmazonGraco Blossom 6 in 1 Convertible High Chair
~$240
Roughly half the price with a removable dishwasher-safe tray and a wipeable seat, which is the specific thing the Tripp Trapp is bad at. It will not last twenty years and it will not need to.
Check price on AmazonStokke Tripp Trapp High Chair with Baby Set and Harness
~$349
Chair plus Baby Set and harness without the Newborn Set, which is the configuration most families actually start with once a baby can sit up. About $100 less than the full set.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
Is the Stokke Tripp Trapp worth it?
If you keep it, yes, arithmetically. Spread across ten to twenty years and often two children, it costs less per year than replacing high chairs and booster seats. If you are likely to sell it at eighteen months, a plastic high chair does the same job for a quarter of the money and cleans far more easily.
High chair or booster seat: which do we need?
It depends on space and on how old the child is. A high chair is a standalone piece of furniture, a booster straps to a dining chair and stores away. Our high chair versus booster seat comparison covers safety, cleaning and the point at which most families switch.
Can a newborn use it?
With the Newborn Set, which is included in this configuration and provides two reclined positions with leg support. Follow the published weight and age limits for that accessory, and never leave a baby unattended in it.
How hard is it to clean?
Harder than plastic, and this is the main practical objection. Food gets into the seat joints and the harness webbing. A washable cushion helps and is itself another thing to wash. If quick cleaning is your priority, buy plastic and do not feel bad about it.
Is it safe if a child pushes off the table?
Use the harness whenever the Baby Set is fitted, keep the chair positioned so a child cannot brace against the table edge and push, and never leave a child unattended. High chair falls are a common injury in this age group across every brand, and supervision is what prevents them.
Keep reading
- High chair vs booster seat
- Best high chairs
- Best feeding gear
- Feeding guide
- Babyletto Kiwi glider review
- Toddler portion size calculator
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures, published safety standards and the general consensus of verified owner reports. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. Nothing here is medical or safety advice: car seat installation belongs with a certified child passenger safety technician, infant sleep follows your paediatrician and current safe sleep guidance, and no product prevents SIDS. Confirm current specifications, fit and safety information for your own child and vehicle before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.